Blah, blah blah, thought Sharon. She couldn't believe she was stuck in this class ' Genetics. The registrar had screwed up her schedule so instead of taking one of the easier sciences like Ecology, she ended up with the terrifying Genetics. Everyone knew how hard this course was but inside, she was a little happy that this was a math-based course. She loved math but didn't let anyone know, especially her Dazzler friends. They would think of her as some nerd if she did.
"..so when you do reciprocal crosses, you need to make sure you get double the number of flies as males for one strain. You will be given a strain to work with this semester but for the purposes of the exam, you are required to know all the strains in the textbook..." Mr. Gupta went on
Why is he still talking?! Sharon sighed and looked around the class. She caught a boy staring at her. He fumbled with his paper and quickly put it back on his desk. Sharon realized it was her famous "aashiq" ' Swayam. He was a really sweet guy, even she couldn't deny that. After countless attempts to bring him down, he refused to hate her. She didn't get it. Well, she was pretty hot so most guys did fall for her either way. Everyone started shifting around in their seats and got up to look at some sheet Professor Gupta had posted. Sharon wished Simi was here with her. But they had all gotten into Ecology. Sharon was the only Dazzling left in this class and the only reason she chose it was because Rey was supposed to be in this class but where was he?!!
She realized that Gupta had posted the lab partners. She was about to get up and check which loser was her partner when Swayam came up to her. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"What?"
Swayam cleared his throat. He avoided her huge, brown eyes and looked at the board instead. "I- uh ' you and me ' we're ' " He couldn't finish his sentence.
"Listen, you creep, I'm NOT interested. Is that so difficult to understand? Hindi mein bolu?" Sharon looked at the door again, irritated. Where are you Rey?
"We're lab partners." Swayam said looking dismay.
"Excuse me?"
"Lab ' partners? Uh..for this assignment that Professor Gupta just ' " He pointed to the wall again.
"I'm not stupid. I get it. And Rey is going to be my partner. So go find yourself a Weakling." Sharon hated it when people talked slowly with her. Just because she was a dancer did not mean she was stupid.
"But Sharon, Rey isn't in this class. He switched out to Plant Physiology. I talked to him in Calculus this morning." Swayam looked at her nervously. Her soft curls bounced as she turned around to face him. Again he avoided the big brown eyes.
"What?! How can he leave me? And since when does he talk to Weaklings? You're lying." She smirked. Rey wouldn't lie to her. "Rey would never leave me. You just want me as your partner."
Swayam pulled the sheet off the board and gave it to Sharon. They had already wasted 13 minutes on this according to his watch. They really needed to start the crosses now. Sharon's eyes widened as she looked at the sheet. No f-ing way! How could Rey do this to her?! She looked up, getting a little tearful and stared into Swayam's big hopeful eyes. She put on her lab coat and began setting up the experiment. Swayam couldn't help but smile. This was going to be an interesting class.
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Part 2:
As he walked closer, his heart stopped. He saw her curly hair that she was playing with while listening to her iPod. Probably trying to defeat the Dazzlers again, Rey thought, smiling and shaking his head. He walked up to her and smiled. Kria didn't seem to notice a handsome hunk standing beside her. She kept listening to Beyonce's latest track and trying to figure out her dance routine.
"Ahem." Rey cleared his throat. By now everyone in line was wondering why Reyaansh was standing in line. Thank God Vikki wasn't there, Rey thought. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten this opportunity with Kria.
Kria looked around her and noticed that a couple of girls were giggling at her. She looked at her outfit ' she was wearing skinny jeans with a tank top. Whatever, she thought. She couldn't be going around dressing to please the Dazzlers. That's just not who she was. But when guys started staring at her too, Kria realized there was a problem. She turned around to see Reyaansh staring at her with a goofy smile.
"Ahem." She looked at him with her eyebrows raised. He continued staring. "Reyaansh?" It did nothing to the boy. She waved her hand around his face rapidly but Rey couldn't see anything or anyone beyond this girl. Enough, though Kria. She walked up closer to him. Rey smelled something really sweet. Her hair. She used some fruit-flavoured shampoo. Kria grabbed a bunch of the skin on his arm and pinched him as hard as she could.
"AHHH! Kria! What the - ?" Kria stared back at him, "Shut up." She whispered. Rey looked around him. He was causing a ruckus. He smiled when he saw she was still holding on to his arm.
"If you don't stop smiling, I swear I will ' " Kria started but quickly realized that she was holding on to him. She couldn't help but notice his muscular, toned arms. She pulled away quickly and changed the song on her iPod. Rey smiled. She must have felt something for him if she pulled away like that. The line seemed to be getting longer instead of shorter. Rey looked around. Stealthily, he grabbed Kria's headphones from her ear, lightly touching her cheek on purpose and put it in his right ear so she would be forced to come closer.
"Reyaansh, what are you ' " Kria shivered at his touch. He had pulled away her earphones so she had no option but to get closer to him.
"Rey." He said cooly.
"What?" Kria felt sweat beads forming around her wrist that was still too close to his arm. She touched it with her other hand and sure enough, she was sweating like crazy. It just Mumbai, Kria, she told herself. It's just soo hot here.
"Call me Rey. All my friends do." Rey leaned closer in and said in her unoccupied right ear.
"I don't recall us being friends." Kria grabbed the headphones from his ear and stepped away from him. She put the iPod inside before he could steal it again.
"Hmm..I don't see why we're not. Okay, my name is Rey. My father is ' "
"I don't care." Kria looked at him, irritated. Why was it so hot here!? And where was Neha?
"Hot?" Rey looked at her hands. She was sweating like crazy. He smiled to himself.
"What?" Kria said, avoiding his gaze.
"Are you hot?"
"Oh, of course not! It's 45 degrees in Mumbai and I'm not hot." Kria rolled her eyes.
Rey leaned closer to her, enough so his chin slightly touched her right shoulder, "This building is air conditioned, Kria." He whispered softly.
Kria's hands ' no, her entire body began to form goosebumps. Crap. He was right. The registrar's building was always air conditioned. How could she be so stupid? His face was still lingering around her and people around her were staring again. She opened her Ecology textbook and plumped herself on the ground with a highlighter and some paper. Breathe in and out, in and out, in and out she told herself. She read the definition of parasites three times but nothing went in. She flipped the page so Rey would think she was reading. What?! No Reyaansh. His name is Reyaansh, Kria reminded herself.
" Chimpanzees infected with nematodes specifically seek out and eat a bitter plant that contains compounds that kill or paralyze the nematodes and can also deter many other parasites" She muttered to herself. Her heart rate was returning to normal. All she had to do was avoid Rey's gaze. Reyaansh!! Kria, get a grip. This is the enemy. She didn't look up for the next 15 minutes and continued taking notes. Somehow, the fact that Reyaansh was there but not bothering her made her even more nervous. She stole a glance at him and she realized he was also reading something. Pretty soon, Kria got to the registrars and gave them her schedule.
"I can't take Genetics. I don't have the prerequisites for it. Please switch me to Ecology."
The lady checked it over and printed the new one. Kria thanked her God and turned around quickly to get away from Rey. But she walked straight into him. Crap, she thought, walking into his hard, muscular body again.
She shifted towards the right but Rey's feet followed her. She shifted towards the left but he followed her again. Rey stepped closer towards her, walking briskly now. Kria took baby steps backwards until she hit the desk. Rey walked up to her and leaned closer to her face. Kria couldn't avoid his eyes any longer. She looked up, almost scared, her heart racing again. Rey formed an O-shape with his mouth and gently blew some air onto her sweaty face. He reached her hand and sure enough Kria's hands were burning hot.
"KRIAAA?!" Neha looked around. Where was this girl?
Kria snapped out and pushed Rey away. Rey smiled at her. She definitely likes you, dude, he told himself.
"Neha?! Here!!" She ran, not looking back.
Kria walked up to Neha. HOW could he do that to her? In front of the registrar's office?! She was boiling with anger. She risked a glance back and sure enough he had his goofy smile on his face. Idiot, she thought.
"I can't take Genetics either. Uh ' Could you please switch me to ' " he paused. He had orginially wanted to take Plant Physiology as his Science credit. "Ecology, please." Rey handed his schedule in and flashed his Dazzler smile at the lady. Even women in their forties couldn't say, 'no' to him.
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